Pet Health Certificate: What USDA APHIS and CDC Actually Require

A pet health certificate — officially a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) — is a document signed by a licensed veterinarian stating that a dog, cat, or other pet was examined and appeared free of infectious disease shortly before travel. In the United States, the standard federal template is USDA APHIS Form 7001, used for interstate moves and, when endorsed by USDA APHIS, for international export. Import into the U.S. is a separate process run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which as of August 1, 2024 requires most dogs to arrive with a CDC Dog Import Form receipt rather than a USDA certificate alone.

What Is a Pet Health Certificate, Exactly?

A pet health certificate is the common name for a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI). Under federal regulation 9 CFR § 2.78, no dealer, exhibitor, broker, or carrier may transport a dog, cat, or nonhuman primate in commerce unless it is “accompanied by a health certificate executed and issued by a licensed veterinarian,” and the exam must happen “not more than 10 days prior to the delivery” for transport. The certificate must state the animal “appeared to the licensed veterinarian to be free of any infectious disease or physical abnormality which would endanger the animal(s) or other animals or endanger public health.”

The United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) publishes the form most veterinarians use to satisfy this rule: the U.S. Interstate and International Certificate of Health Examination for Small Animals, APHIS Form 7001. The regulation explicitly names it as an acceptable format, though any licensed-veterinarian certificate meeting the same content requirements can qualify.

USDA APHIS Form 7001: Interstate and International Use

APHIS Form 7001 records the veterinarian's identification of the animal (species, breed, age, sex, microchip or tattoo), the exam date, and vaccination or test results. It serves two distinct purposes:

• Interstate travel (within the U.S.): Many states require a current Certificate of Veterinary Inspection before a dog or cat can legally enter, per USDA APHIS's National Veterinary Accreditation Program (NVAP) interstate regulations guidance. Federal law sets the floor (the 10-day exam window and disease-free statement); each state's animal health official can add requirements on top, so confirm destination-state rules before you move.
• International export: A USDA-accredited veterinarian completes the certificate, then it must generally be endorsed by an APHIS Veterinary Services office — most commonly done electronically through the Veterinary Export Health Certification System (VEHCS) — before the pet leaves the country. Countries have different acceptance rules; some accept VEHCS's electronic endorsement, others require a wet-ink original.

USDA APHIS charges a user fee to endorse export certificates. Under 9 CFR § 130.3(f), the base fee for a certificate that does not require verification of tests or vaccinations is $101 per certificate; certificates requiring lab-test or vaccination verification are charged on a tiered schedule that runs higher per animal. APHIS confirmed these Veterinary Services user fee rates were unchanged for fiscal year 2026.

CDC Rules for Bringing a Dog Into the U.S. (Import, Not Export)

Health certificates for pets get confusing because two different federal agencies handle two different directions of travel. USDA APHIS governs export (leaving the U.S.) and interstate movement. The CDC governs import — bringing a dog into the United States, including U.S. dogs re-entering after travel abroad.

As of the CDC's updated rule effective August 1, 2024, most dogs entering the U.S. need a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, and every dog must be at least 6 months old, appear clinically healthy, and have a microchip. Requirements scale with rabies risk:

• Dogs from rabies-free or low-risk countries: the CDC Dog Import Form receipt alone, plus the health, age, and microchip conditions above.
• U.S.-vaccinated dogs returning from high-risk countries: the CDC Dog Import Form receipt plus a Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination, which a USDA-accredited veterinarian must complete before the dog leaves the U.S.
• Foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries: the CDC Dog Import Form receipt plus a Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip, and arrival by air through an airport with a CDC-registered animal care facility. Dogs without a valid U.S.-recognized rabies vaccination from a high-risk country may also need a rabies antibody titer test, drawn at least 30 days after the first valid vaccination and submitted to a CDC-approved laboratory, with a passing result of at least 0.5 IU/mL.

A critical transition date: per CDC's veterinarian guidance, USDA export health certificates issued after July 31, 2025 are no longer accepted as a substitute for CDC's own import paperwork. Certificates issued on or before that date remain valid if properly endorsed, but anyone completing paperwork now should use the current CDC forms rather than assuming a USDA Form 7001 alone will clear a dog for U.S. entry.

USDA APHIS vs. CDC vs. Airline Requirements: Quick Comparison

How to Get a Pet Health Certificate: 5 Steps

1. Confirm the destination's rules first. Contact the destination state's animal health official for interstate moves, or check the destination country's import requirements (via USDA APHIS's pet travel tool or that country's embassy) for international travel.
2. Book the vet exam inside the deadline. Federal rule requires the exam within 10 days of transport (9 CFR § 2.78); airlines typically want the same 10-day window, so schedule close to your departure date, not weeks ahead.
3. Use a USDA-accredited veterinarian for export or CDC-related certification. Ordinary interstate CVIs only require a licensed veterinarian, but international export endorsement and CDC's Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination both require USDA accreditation specifically.
4. Get APHIS or CDC endorsement if your route requires it. International export certificates typically need APHIS endorsement, most efficiently through VEHCS; dogs entering or re-entering the U.S. need the CDC Dog Import Form receipt, not a USDA endorsement, to satisfy CDC's rule.
5. Carry the original and check airline rules separately. Government paperwork and airline paperwork are not the same thing — confirm your carrier's own health-certificate policy and reconfirm within 48 hours of departure, per IATA's traveler guidance.

Pet Health Certificate vs. EU Pet Passport: Not the Same Document

A U.S. pet health certificate (CVI/APHIS Form 7001) is a single-trip document tied to one exam date and one journey. The EU pet passport, issued under the European Union's Pet Travel Scheme, is a reusable booklet that follows an animal for its lifetime within the EU system and is issued by an EU-authorized veterinarian, not USDA APHIS or CDC. A U.S. pet traveling to the EU does not receive an EU pet passport; it instead needs an EU health certificate completed by a USDA-accredited vet and endorsed by APHIS for that specific trip. Do not assume the two terms are interchangeable when researching entry rules — always confirm with the destination country's official source.

Where a Digital Livestock ID Fits — and Where It Doesn't

Government-issued pet health certificates verify medical fitness to travel at a point in time; they are not identity records designed to survive a disaster or link back to an owner years later. Animal Passport addresses that separate problem for livestock: a phone-based digital record built on muzzle biometrics, since each animal's nose print is unique like a fingerprint. The record binds an owner, breed, an estimated age (from a dental photograph with a confidence score), a body condition score of 1–5 (from a side-profile photo), and vaccination history to that biometric ID. During livestock flood rescue efforts in Pakistan in August 2025, this let farmers reclaim animals after paper ear tags washed away.

This is not a government travel document, a veterinary diagnosis, or a replacement for a USDA APHIS or CDC pet health certificate — it does not satisfy 9 CFR § 2.78, CDC's dog import rule, or any airline's boarding requirement. It is a complementary identity and welfare-tracking tool, most relevant to livestock owners rather than travelers moving a dog or cat across a border. Read more on the Animal Passport blog.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Getting the exam too early. A certificate dated more than 10 days before travel can be rejected under 9 CFR § 2.78 and most airline policies.
• Assuming a USDA certificate covers CDC's dog import rule. Since the CDC's August 1, 2024 update, and especially after the July 31, 2025 cutoff for old USDA certificates, dogs entering the U.S. need the CDC-specific paperwork.
• Skipping the destination state's rules for interstate moves. Federal law sets a floor; states can and do require more.
• Confusing an EU pet passport with a U.S. health certificate. They are issued under different legal schemes and are not interchangeable.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is APHIS Form 7001?

APHIS Form 7001, the “United States Interstate and International Certificate of Health Examination for Small Animals,” is the standard USDA template a licensed veterinarian can use to certify a dog or cat is healthy for interstate or international transport, as named in 9 CFR § 2.78.

How long is a pet health certificate valid?

Federal regulation requires the veterinary exam to occur no more than 10 days before the animal is transported (9 CFR § 2.78); most airlines and many destination countries use the same 10-day window, though some countries set their own limit, so confirm with the specific destination.

Does a pet health certificate expire the same way for every state?

No. The 10-day exam rule is a federal floor; individual states can set additional interstate entry requirements, so confirm current rules with the destination state's animal health official before traveling.

Do I need a USDA-accredited veterinarian or just a licensed one?

A licensed veterinarian can issue a basic interstate CVI. International export endorsement and CDC-related rabies certifications specifically require a USDA-accredited veterinarian, per USDA APHIS and CDC guidance.

Is a USDA pet health certificate enough to bring my dog back into the United States?

Not by itself. As of CDC's August 1, 2024 rule, most dogs need a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, and USDA export certificates issued after July 31, 2025 are not accepted as a substitute for that CDC requirement.

How much does USDA APHIS charge to endorse a pet health certificate?

Under 9 CFR § 130.3(f), the base APHIS endorsement fee for a certificate not requiring test or vaccination verification is $101 per certificate; certificates needing lab-test verification are charged on a higher, tiered schedule.

Is a pet health certificate the same as an EU pet passport?

No. A U.S. pet health certificate is a single-trip veterinary form issued under USDA APHIS or CDC rules, while an EU pet passport is a reusable, lifetime document issued under the European Union's Pet Travel Scheme by an EU-authorized veterinarian. They are not interchangeable.

Can Animal Passport's biometric ID replace a government pet health certificate?

No. Animal Passport's muzzle-biometric record documents identity, estimated age, body condition, and vaccination history for livestock owners and is not a government-issued travel document, veterinary diagnosis, or substitute for a USDA APHIS or CDC certificate.